Modular handle construction

ABSTRACT

A handle for a tool is provided that is formed of a core positioned within a sleeve of a temperature resistant material to form a handle with a space between the core and the sleeve. The core can be formed by machining a metal material while the sleeve and an optional skin positioned on the sleeve can be molded. The materials forming the sleeve and skin, and the space formed between the core and sleeve, create a handle that can be adapted to form a variety of different tools with different mechanisms located in the core that also has improved heat transfer characteristics for sterilization purposes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 61/568,231 filed on Dec. 8, 2011, the entirety of which is expresslyincorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to handles for tools and morespecifically to handles for medical devices that are subjected to harshenvironments, such as handles which are periodically placed within anautocloave for sterilization purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many types of handles for tools of different types. Thesehandles cam include within them various devices and mechanisms thatenable the handle to perform various functions for the tools formed withthe handle.

Many of these types of handles are used in situations that require thatthe handle be able to withstand very harsh environments during use ofthe tool or during cleaning of the tool. One example of handles of thistype is a handle for a medical tool that must be sterilized by placingthe handle in an autoclave. In the autoclave the handle is subjected tohigh temperature steam that effectively sterilizes the surfaces of thehandle on which bacteria and other undesirable organisms may be located.

With prior art handles, the handle is normally formed with a centralcore formed of a single piece of a suitable material, such as a rigidmetal. The metal core is machined and shaped as necessary to provide thedesired structure for the various internal configuration or componentsfor the tool to be positioned within the core. The shaping of the tooloften requires that the core be intricately cut in a number of differentsequential steps in order to achieve the desired shape to accommodatethe particular configuration or shape of the components to be positionedwithin the core, which can greatly increase the costs and time requiredfor creating the handle core.

Further, once machined into the desired configuration, the core of thetool is often formed with a molded material disposed around the exteriorof the central core in order to provide the desired grip and aestheticor appearance characteristics to the handle. To provide thesecharacteristics to the handle, the molded material is formed in varyingthicknesses on the exterior of the core. In most constructions, themolded layer is formed from an insulating type material, such as asilicone, which provides a desirable feel to the tool, while also beingable to be formed with the desired shape around the core.

However, in those situations where the tool is required to be sterilizedsuch as in an autoclave, the placement of the molded material directlyaround the exterior of the core can inhibit the transmission of heatfrom the exposed ends of the core to the interior of the core as aresult of the insulating properties of the molded material. As a result,certain areas of the core may not be reached by the steam in order toachieve the necessary temperature for effective sterilization of theentire handle which can prevent the handle from being able to be usedfor its intended purpose.

Thus, it is desirable to develop a handle that can be formed with anouter molded layer of a suitable material that provides the desiredcharacteristics to the handle while also enabling effective heattransfer to the entire core in order to quickly and effectivelysterilize the core and the entire handle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly described, one aspect of the present disclosure provides ahandle having a central core formed of a heat conducting material withinwhich can be positioned any number of various types of mechanismssuitable for providing the desired utility for the tool. The core ispositioned within a moldable sleeve of a relatively thin walled heattolerant material having a relatively constant thickness. The sleeveincludes interior features that enable the central core to beeffectively positioned within and mated to the sleeve in the correctposition. The sleeve also includes exterior features, and/or an exteriorshape that enables an outer skin formed of the moldable, insulatingmaterial, such as silicone, placed on the exterior of the sleeve to havea relatively constant thickness across the entire length of the sleeve.In the assembled configuration, the core is held within the sleeve by anend cap engaged with the core and extending over the sleeve and theexterior of the skin.

In this configuration, the core and sleeve define an air space betweenthe core and the sleeve that enables more effective heat transfer alongthe entire length of the core. This insulating effect of the skin on thecore is consequently reduced as a result of the presence of the spaceand the more consistent thickness of the skin on the exterior of thesleeve. As a result, when the handle is disposed in an autoclave for thepurposes of sterilizing the handle, the steam can more quickly raise thetemperature of the core to enable the handle to be effectively heatedand sterilized within the predetermined treatment cycles of theautoclave, even a high speed autoclave.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the core isformed with engagement surfaces for connecting and mating with sleeveshaving complementary surfaces, but the sleeves can be formed with anydesired shape between the complementary surfaces. As a result, the samecore configuration can be used with sleeves of various shapes.

According to still another aspect of the present disclosure, because thecore is formed with a relatively simple and consistent configuration,regardless of the configuration of the remainder of the handle, the corecan be formed with a variety of mechanisms for providing the desiredutility for the handle.

Numerous other aspects, features, and advantages of the presentinvention will be made apparent from the following detailed descriptiontogether with the drawings figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The drawings illustrate the best mode currently contemplated ofpracticing the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a one embodiment of a handle constructedaccording to the present disclosure;

FIG. 2 is a side isometric view of the handle of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view along line 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partially exploded, cross-section isometric view of thehandle of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an isometric, cross-sectional view of the sleeve and skin ofthe handle of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side plan, cross-sectional view of the sleeve and skin ofFIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded, isometric cross-sectional view of the sleeve andskin of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is an isometric, cross-sectional view of the sleeve of FIG. 5;and

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of the core of the handle of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now in detail to the drawing figures, wherein like referencenumerals represent like parts throughout the several views, oneembodiment of a handle constructed according to the present disclosureis illustrated generally at 10 in FIG. 1. As best shown in FIGS. 1-4,this embodiment of the handle 10 is formed of a central core 12, asleeve 14 disposed around the core 12, an outer skin 16 formed aroundthe sleeve 14, and an end cap 18 engaged with one end of the core 12 andextending over the sleeve 14 and outer skin 16.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-4 and 9, the core 12 is shaped to accommodate aparticular mechanism (not shown) therein, such as a ratchetingmechanism, a torque-limiting mechanism, or a variable gear ratio drivingmechanism, among others, such as those disclosed in one or more of U.S.Pat. No. 6,817,458; U.S. Pat. No. 7,430,945; and/or U.S. PatentApplication Publication No. US2010/0294084, which are each expresslyincorporated by reference herein in their entirety. In the illustratedembodiment, the core 12 is formed with a generally tubular configurationwith a wide first end 20 and a wide second end 22 joined by a narrowcentral passage 24. The first end 20 is shaped in a suitable machiningprocess to accept any of a number of mechanisms therein to provide thedesired utility for the handle 10. The first end 20 is configured toclosely conform to the shape of the particular mechanism, andalternatively can be formed to be connectable to a number of differentmechanisms in an interchangeable manner. A shaft (not shown) of asuitable implement can be inserted through the second end 22 along thepassage 24 into engagement with mechanism disposed within the first end20.

The second end 24 is also shaped in a suitable machining process to beable to accept any of a number of shaft securing mechanisms therein, inorder to releasably secure the implement shaft within the core 12 inengagement with the mechanism disposed in the first end 22 of the handle10.

The exterior of the first end 20 and the second end 22 are formed withengaging surfaces 25, 26, respectively, capable of contacting andengaging or mating with complementary surfaces 28 on the interior of thesleeve 14 to lock the core 12 in position with regard to the sleeve 14.In addition, both the first end 20 and the second end 22 extend beyondthe ends of the sleeve 14 in order to facilitate the connection of thehandle 10 to other components of the manufacture of the handle 10.

In the illustrated embodiment, the core 12 is formed as a single pieceof a suitable material, such as stainless steel, that is capable ofbeing sterilized effectively through the application of heated steam tothe core 12, such as in an autoclave. In an alternative embodiment, thecore 12 can be formed with the first end 20 and the second end 22 beingseparate from the passage 24, and the subsequently connected in anysuitable manner to the respective ends of the passage 24, which in theillustrated embodiment has a diameter less than that of the first end 20and the second end 22. In this embodiment, the first end 20 and secondend 22 can be shaped to conform to a particular mechanism to be placedtherein, further enhancing the ability of the core 12 to be adapted forparticular uses of the handle 10. The core 12 has a diameter much lessthan the diameter of the sleeve 14 in order to greatly reduce the amountof material required for the formation of the core 12 and to provide aspace 30 between the exterior of the core 12 and the interior of thesleeve 14 in the finished construction of the handle 10.

In either embodiment for the core 12, the configuration of the core 12requires a minimum of separate machining steps, greatly reducing theamount of time required for the formation of the core 12.

Looking now at FIGS. 3-8, in the illustrated embodiment the sleeve 14 isformed as a hollow, generally tubular member having a front end 32 and arear end 34. The front end 32 includes an inwardly tapering engagementridge 36 and the rear end 34 includes a radially inwardly extendingengagement flange 38. The engagement ridge 36 and the engagement flange38 are shaped complementary to the engagement surfaces 25, 26 on thefirst end 20 and second end 22 of the core 12 in order to securely seatthe core 12 within the sleeve 14.

The sleeve 14 is formed from a material that is heat resistant, meaningthat the material can withstand the temperatures and/or pressures usedto sterilize the handle 10. This material can be the same as that usedfor the core 12, or can be a different material. In certain embodiments,the sleeve 14 can be formed from a material such as metal, includingaluminum, among others, or a plastic material.

When formed of these types of materials, especially plastic materials,the sleeve 14 can be formed by molding the material forming the sleeve14 into the desired shape, which greatly reduces the amount of thematerial required and the time necessary to form the sleeve 14.Additionally, the sleeve 14 can be formed by hydroforming, stamping orin other similar processes, also resulting in significant reductions onused material and time for forming the sleeve 14. Also, because thesleeve 14 is formed according to one of these less intricate procedures,the sleeve 14 can be formed with more intricate shapes to enhance thedesired attributes of the handle 10, as well as with a more uniformthickness along the length of the sleeve 14. This is especially truewhen the sleeve 14 is molded, as the mold can be designed with theparticular form desired for the sleeve 14 to enable the sleeve 14 to bereadily reproduced in a simple molding process. In addition, this moreuniform thickness of the sleeve 14 along its length further speeds upthe curing time for the sleeve 14, consequently speeding up the overallmanufacturing process for the handle 10.

The outer skin 16 that is positioned on the exterior of the sleeve 14 isformed of any suitable material, such as a silicone material. The skin16 is molded directly onto the sleeve 14 which is placed within the moldfor the skin 16, with the material used to form the skin subsequentlyinjected into the mold around the sleeve 14. Due to the shape of thesleeve 14 which, as a result of its construction and method of formationcan be formed to more closely conform to the desired shape for thehandle 10, the amount of material required to be injected around thesleeve 14 to form the skin 16 is greatly reduced. This consequentlyreduces the insulating ability of the skin 16 on the handle 10, therebyincreasing the heat transfer along the handle 10. In one embodiment, thethickness of the material forming the skin 16 can be less than 15 mm,and in another embodiment can be less than 10 mm, and in still anotherembodiment can be less than 6 mm. The thickness of the skin 16 can alsovary in one or both of the radial and axial directions of the handle 10to provide the desired shape to the skin 16 and the handle 10, and inone embodiment the skin 16 can vary in thickness between about 0 mm andabout 12 mm, and in another embodiment can vary between about 1 mm andabout 8 mm, and in still another embodiment can vary between about 1 mmand about 5 mm.

To assist in holding the core 12 within the finished sleeve 14 and skin16, once properly seated within the sleeve 14, the second end 22 of thecore 12 is engaged with an inner member 40 of the end cap 18. The innermember 40 is formed to be generally tubular in shape and is positionedin alignment with the passage 24 in the core 12 to enable the shaft topass through the inner member 40 of the cap 18 and the passage 24 of thecore 12 for engagement with the mechanism disposed within the first end20 of the core 12. In the illustrated embodiment, to hold the innermember 40 within the second end 22 of the core 12 the inner member 40has a threaded outer surface 42 that is engaged with a complementarythreaded surface 44 on the interior of the second end 22 of the sleeve14, though other suitable engaging mechanism as are known in the art canbe utilized as well.

The end cap 18 also includes an outer member 46 that functions to engagethe exterior of the skin 16 and sleeve 14 and hold the core 12 withinthe sleeve 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the outer member 46 isconical in shape and extends axially outwardly from the inner member 40in a direction that partially overlaps the inner member 40. When theinner member 40 is engaged with the core 12, an engagement surface 48 onthe outer member 46 engages and compresses the skin 16 against thesleeve 14 while simultaneously drawing the second end 22 of the core 12into secure and aligned engagement with the sleeve 14. The end cap 18can be formed from any suitable material, but in the illustratedembodiment is formed from a metal, such as stainless steel.

When fully assembled, the insulating effect of the skin 16 on the core12 is consequently reduced as a result of the presence of the space 30defined between the core 12 and the sleeve 14/skin 16 and the moreconsistent thickness of the skin 16 disposed on the exterior of thesleeve 14. As a result, when the handle 10 is disposed in an autoclavefor the purposes of sterilizing the handle 10, the steam can morequickly raise the temperature of the core 12 to enable the handle 10 tobe effectively heated and sterilized within the predetermined treatmentcycles of the autoclave, even a high speed autoclave. Further, with theconstruction of the handle 10, the particular mechanism disposed withinthe core 12 can be removed from the care 12 to enable the core 12 to bemore effectively sterilized.

In other alternative embodiments, the end cap 18 can be omitted orformed as a component of the core 12, or the sleeve 14 and skin 16 canbe formed as a single member, such that only one molding step isrequired to for the sleeve 14 or skin 16 to be secured around the core12.

In still other alternative embodiments, the space 30 between theexterior of the core 12 and the interior of the sleeve 14 can beutilized to house any of a number of different devices or mechanisms toenhance the utility of the handle 10, such as any of a number ofelectronic devices, among others.

Various other embodiments of the present disclosure are contemplated asbeing within the scope of the filed claims particularly pointing out anddistinctly claiming the subject matter regarded as the invention.

We claim:
 1. A modular handle comprising: a) a hollow core including afirst end and a second end joined by a passage, the core including atool mechanism disposed therein; b) a sleeve formed at least partiallyof a rigid, moldable and temperature resistant material and releasablysecured around the core to define a space between the core and thesleeve; and c) an outer skin positioned on the sleeve opposite the core.2. The modular handle of claim 1 wherein the outer skin is formed of amoldable insulating material.
 3. The modular handle of claim 2 where inthe range of thickness for the outer skin is between about 0 mm andabout 15 mm.
 4. The modular handle of claim 3 wherein the range ofthickness for the outer skin is between about limn and about 8 mm. 5.The modular handle of claim 1 wherein the core includes at least oneengagement surface mateable with the sleeve to retain the core inposition within the sleeve.
 6. The modular handle of claim 5 wherein thesleeve includes at least one engagement ridge shaped complementary toand engageable with the at least one engagement surface.
 7. The modularhandle of claim 5 wherein the sleeve includes at least one engagementflange shaped complementary to and engageable with the at least oneengagement surface.
 8. The modular handle of claim 1 further comprisingan end cap engaged with the second end of the core and the sleeve. 9.The modular handle of claim 8 wherein the end cap is frictionallyengaged with the sleeve and threadably engaged with the second end ofthe core.
 10. The modular handle of claim 1 wherein the tool mechanismdisposed in the first end of the core.
 11. The modular handle of claim10 further comprising a shaft of an implement inserted through thesecond end of the core and engaged with the tool mechanism within thefirst end of the core.
 12. The modular handle of claim 1 wherein thefirst end of the core has a diameter larger than a diameter of a tubularsection connecting the first end and the second end.